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Millennium Star Amitabh Bachchan's success and his stardom are majorly credited to the iconic writer-duo Salim-Javed. While the iconic writer-duo gave him his breakthrough movie Zanjeer, their powerful collaborations resulted in multiple 'greatest Hindi movies of all time'. Bachchan has time and again admitted that Salim-Javed's script made him a successful actor. However, did you know that not just eminent writer Salim Khan, his son and superstar Salman Khan also played a vital role in Amitabh Bachchan's success?
Distributors Dismissed Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini's Baghban?
2003's family drama Baghban, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini in the lead roles, was a massive box office success. However, filmmaker Ravi Chopra encountered several challenges while making and distributing the film.
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During a recent conversation with Pinkvilla, Ravi Chopra's wife Renu Chopra shed light on the significant hurdles Baghban faced before hitting the theatres.
Producer Renu Chopra revealed that finding a distributor for Baghban was not an easy feat as most of the distributors dismissed the project as 'old-fashioned'. It was not just the distributors; eminent filmmaker BR Chopra was also sceptical about the project. While the original story was penned by BR Chopra two decades back, it was reworked by Dr Achala Nagar. BR Chopra discouraged him from making Baghban saying it was outdated. Many believed that films like Avatar and Zindagi had explored such concepts. However, Ravi Chopra saw it differently, not as a social drama but as a love story of an elderly couple.
How Salman Khan Came On Board?
As Renu revealed, Baghban was already completed, except for a guest appearance.
Renu said, "No distributor wanted to touch the film. They thought it was outdated, especially since Amit ji was facing a rough patch in his career, having just made a comeback with Mohabbatein and Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). Then someone suggested approaching Salman Khan for the remaining part."
Further, Renu recalled that Ravi personally met Salman at his residence unsure about the outcome.
"Ravi went to Salman’s two-room apartment, where the Khan brothers were casually working out. One by one, they stepped out in shorts, making Ravi feel overdressed," said Renu.
Talking about Salman's reaction after hearing the story, Renu added, "When Salman heard the role, he immediately agreed, saying, ‘I love this boy, Alok Malhotra. This is exactly how I feel about my parents. I worship them, and I will do this role.’ He didn’t ask about payment; he just wanted to know where to show up for the shoot."
Furthermore, Renu added that all scenes of Salman were shot in London and his only request was to start shooting after 11 am. The Ek Tha Tiger actor also promised that he wouldn't leave until everything was done.
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The film struggled during its first four days in theatres. But, things changed on the following Tuesday and the film picked up momentum. Salman's involvement in the project was indeed a pivotal moment for the film.
